Lifecycle Wait Chain

Lifecycle Wait-Chain Reference

Claude deep-dive page (source-cited). Complements Mission entrypoints and lifecycle with the precise boot ordering, the machine-role truth table, and the global-flag dependency graph that enforces init order.

All paths below are relative to the source mission root Missions/[55-2hc]warfarev2_073v48co.chernarus/.

Why this matters

WFBE does not use the BIS Functions CfgFunctions auto-init system. There is no engine-managed preInit/postInit ordering. Instead, boot order is enforced entirely by hand-rolled waitUntil {<flag>} barriers on global variables. A script execVM'd before the flag it waits on is set will simply spin forever, silently hanging that machine's boot. Before reordering any init call, check this page.

Machine-role truth table

Role is computed in initJIPCompatible.sqf:52-56. isHeadLessClient comes from Headless/Functions/HC_IsHeadlessClient.sqf (!(hasInterface || isDedicated)).

Machine	isServer	isDedicated	hasInterface	isHostedServer	isHeadLessClient	Init branches run
Dedicated server	true	true	false	false	false	Server
Hosted (listen) server	true	false	true	true	false	Server + Client
Pure client	false	false	true	false	false	Client
Headless client (HC)	false	false	false	false	true	HC
Singleplayer	true	false	true	true	false	Server + Client

isHostedServer = !isMultiplayer || (isServer && !isDedicated) (initJIPCompatible.sqf:52).

Engine-driven entry order (every machine)

1. Engine parses description.ext → #include "version.sqf" (preprocessor #defines) + all Rsc/*.hpp, Sounds/, Music/ includes.
2. Engine runs init.sqf (server-only: spawns test/wasp_selftest.sqf).
3. Engine runs initJIPCompatible.sqf — the master bootstrap, including on JIP clients.

Gotcha — version.sqf is generated and git-ignored. It is #included by description.ext and initJIPCompatible.sqf but is produced per-terrain by LoadoutManager (see Tools and build workflow) and listed in .gitignore. A fresh checkout will not compile until LoadoutManager has been run or a version.sqf is dropped in.

Branch dispatch in initJIPCompatible.sqf

Branch	Guard	Line
Server	isHostedServer || isDedicated → ExecVM "Server/Init/Init_Server.sqf"	~228-230
Client	isHostedServer || (!isHeadLessClient && !isDedicated) → execVM "Client/Init/Init_Client.sqf"	~234-244
Headless	isHeadLessClient → execVM "Headless/Init/Init_HC.sqf"	~247-249

The old WASP client-init block is commented out at initJIPCompatible.sqf:251-255 (see WASP overlay).

Global-flag dependency graph

Each row: a flag, where it is set, and the waitUntil barriers it unblocks. Editing any producer line without its consumers (or vice-versa) risks a boot hang.

Flag	Set at	Unblocks (consumer waitUntil)
VERSION_SET	Common/Init/Init_Version.sqf	initJIPCompatible.sqf:49
WFBE_Parameters_Ready	initJIPCompatible.sqf:222	Common/Init/Init_TownMode.sqf:18
townModeSet	Common/Init/Init_TownMode.sqf:20	Init_Towns.sqf:3, Init_Town.sqf:18
BIS_fnc_init (engine)	engine	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:205-206
WFBE_PRESENTSIDES	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:282	client branch initJIPCompatible.sqf:235; test/wasp_selftest.sqf
commonInitComplete	Common/Init/Init_Common.sqf:371	Init_Server.sqf:127, Init_Client.sqf:165, Init_Town.sqf:42, Init_Unit.sqf:18
townInit	Common/Init/Init_Towns.sqf:13	Init_Server.sqf:127, client FSM launches, Init_Client.sqf:596
serverInitComplete	Init_Server.sqf:117	town model creation in Init_Town.sqf:92
serverInitFull	Init_Server.sqf:507	signals all per-side setup done (HC sleep 20 is a crude proxy)
clientInitComplete	Init_Client.sqf:957	Init_Unit.sqf:33; then CLIENT_INIT_READY is publicVariableServer'd (Init_Client.sqf:961-963)

Ordered boot timeline (server)

Init_Version → WFBE_Parameters_Ready → Init_Common (sets WFBE_PRESENTSIDES, then commonInitComplete) → Init_Towns (townInit) → Init_Server (serverInitComplete early, serverInitFull after per-side loop) → launch server_town.sqf, server_town_ai.sqf, cleaners/restorers, updateresources.sqf, victory loop.

Ordered boot timeline (client)

Block on WFBE_PRESENTSIDES + wfbe_teams → Init_Client compiles functions → block on commonInitComplete → set up HUD/modules/JIP handshake → block on townInit → launch map/marker/action FSMs → remove blackout (Init_Client.sqf:775) → clientInitComplete → broadcast CLIENT_INIT_READY.

Headless client

Init_HC.sqf compiles the three delegation handlers (Client_DelegateTownAI, Client_DelegateAI, Client_DelegateAIStaticDefence) plus Client_HandlePVF, then sleep 20 (a hard wait used in place of a waitUntil {serverInitFull} barrier) and notifies the server via ["RequestSpecial", ["connected-hc", player]]. See AI, headless and performance for what gets delegated.

JIP specifics

There is no didJIP variable; JIP is handled implicitly because initJIPCompatible.sqf runs identically on joining clients, hitting the same barriers.

• Time catch-up: initJIPCompatible.sqf:212 — if (local player) then {skipTime (time/3600)}; initial date applied from WFBE_DAYNIGHT_DATE if present (:203).
• Spawn position: Init_Client.sqf:462 — if (time < 30) use start position, else (JIP) spawn at newest factory building.
• Markers: Init_Client.sqf:732-736 — deferred re-init of town/camp markers from already-synced object variables after a short sleep.
• State sync: town sideID/supplyValue, side-logic commander/HQ/upgrades/teams, and team wfbe_funds are all written with setVariable [..., true] so the engine replicates them to JIP clients automatically (see the JIP section of Networking and public variables).

Known ordering hazards

• Debug-only economy override: initJIPCompatible.sqf:151-162 raises starting funds/supply and other test parameters only inside if (WF_Debug). Confirm WF_Debug state before comparing economy behavior against mission parameters.
• Server-only code inside Common: Init_Common.sqf:303-308 runs an if (isServer) town-group load from the common path. Functionally correct but architecturally surprising.
• Duplicate compiles in Init_Server: several functions are compiled twice (e.g. WFBE_SE_FNC_PlayerObjectsList, WFBE_CO_FNC_LogGameEnd); harmless (second overwrites first) but wasteful.
• gameOver vs WFBE_GameOver vs WFBE_gameover: SQF identifiers are case-insensitive, so WFBE_gameover == WFBE_GameOver; the lowercase-gameOver is a separate variable also set at boot. No bug, but easy to misread.

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